In the wake of two terrorist attacks over the weekend, the Israeli security cabinet concluded an emergency meeting with several decisions regarding how to move forward. Immediately after the meeting, Israel Police officers assigned to the Jerusalem district along with a unit from the Israel Defense Forces, sealed off the house of Hayeri Alkam, the terrorist who killed seven in a Jerusalem neighborhood Friday night just as Sabbath prayers were concluding.
Officers went to the 'A-Tur' area of East Jerusalem in compliance with the security cabinet orders that the house of the terrorist should be sealed off, preventing entrance and usage of the house by the family of the man who shot into a synagogue, killing seven and wounding over 10. Israeli law calls for the homes of terrorists to be destroyed, although the families of the attackers have the right to appeal the decision. By sealing off the home, the family loses access to the structure immediately instead of allowing them to use it while the legal process makes its way through the system.
This was a reprehensible attack at the entrance to a synagogue on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 28, 2023
I thank my friend, @POTUS Joe Biden, who spoke with me and expressed outrage and condolences over this terrible murderous attack. pic.twitter.com/QpUJsw8yeb
The police said that police and security forces had already cleared the house of its inhabitants on the night of the attack and detained his relatives to determine if anyone was part of or privy to the plan. "Tonight, all the openings of the house were sealed after receiving the necessary approvals and on the order of the political echelon. The operational activity ended early in the morning without disruptions, and the terrorist's house was evacuated and sealed."
Regarding the sealing of the terrorist's house, there was a public discussion between the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, and the legal adviser to the government Gali Baharav-Miara. Ben Gvir attacked the legal advisor to the government at the cabinet meeting and claimed that the Shin Bet and the IDF supported the decision of sealing the house as soon as possible.
Israel's Security Cabinet met Saturday night and announced a series of tough new measures against Palestinian terrorists and their supporters. The move follows the worst weekend of terrorist violence in Jerusalem in the past decade.https://t.co/SN0msLOUGG
— CBN Israel (@cbnisraelaid) January 29, 2023
"At 08:00 [Saturday] we brought to the legal counsel the material that was ready for signing, there was no reason not to approve it then and finish the business. The plan was to seal it on Saturday morning at the latest," he said. However, legal advisor Miara only signed the papers authorizing the military action towards the evening, claiming that other bureaucratic processing was needed.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin claimed that the justice system "doesn't understand the dimension of time", and that if there is no quick action this could later lead to an actual military operation.” Levin was describing the need for a larger force needed to secure the area, typically home demolitions or evacuations are planned in advance, giving the opposition time to assemble a large protest that at times, has endangered the well-being, even the lives of soldiers carrying out the orders.
#Israel's response to the #Jerusalem terror attacks will be 'strong, rapid, precise'
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) January 28, 2023
PM Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at an emergency meeting of the security cabinet. pic.twitter.com/rbCjY8yd0m
At the end of Saturday night’s cabinet discussion, it was also announced that several new punitive measures had been decided following the attacks. Among other things, it was decided to deny social security services and other benefits to the families of terrorists; deny Israeli IDs to the families of terrorists who support terrorism, a proposal that will be further examined; Expedite and expand the licensing of firearms for citizens who have applied for a weapons permit; gun permits in Israel are difficult to get for citizens who do not work in security, citizens typically need to prove a need for a weapon and even then, must go through a complicated process before their requests are considered. In addition, the cabinet agreed to further support communities within Judea and Samaria, "in response to the heinous attacks and the joyous celebrations that followed them.”
